RNC Cleveland Photos

At the RNC in Cleveland, 2016. Public Square.

I went to the RNC in Cleveland because I wanted to see who would show up, outside on the streets, to protest or support the nomination of Donald Trump for president. It turned out there were way more police than protesters, and way more media people than police. Perhaps for every protester/supporter there were three police men or women, and for every police man or woman there were three people with video cameras.

I think people didn't show up because they were afraid something bad would happen, a shooting or a bombing, or maybe because Trump's nomination was a done deal and they had to work.

The protests that took place in the Public Square were like short performances by small groups--Code Pink, BLM activists, anarchists marauding about, a man in diapers, two PETA people on stilts, eight Ohio Minutemen with assault rifles, constant condemnations from religious wackos--a circus, nothing even close to a mass demonstration.

I interviewed a lot of interesting people, but I need some time to edit and produce the story. I'm in a motel room now off the New York turnpike, on my way to Philadelphia for the DNC. More soon, I hope.

Two Iraq vets who drove 2600 miles from San Jose, California, to support the nomination of Donald J. Trump.

It's those girls from YouTube.

Many of the protesters were sent by God to warn us of the coming Apocalypse.

In Public Square, two blocks from the RNC Convention, there was a platform and a microphone for free speech and protest.

Kathy Wray Coleman, being arrested in Public Square, only minutes after speaking out about police brutality. She had an outstanding warrant for assaulting a police officer.

Two of Cleveland's social activists--Sergeant Major Stokes of the Black Man's Army and Al Porter of Black on Black Crime Inc.

One of eight Ohio Minutemen who showed up at Public Square on Wednesday afternoon.

Live streaming coverage from Public Square.

Public Square.

MSNBC had an outdoor stage on 4th Street, just across from the convention in the Quicken Loans Arena.